The adult Hodor is a gentle giant with a disability. He understands what others say but can only speak the word “Hodor.” He is a loyal companion to friends but seen as a ‘simpleton’ by foes.

Because the past and present are linked in a temporal loop, Hodor’s adult death retroactively causes the onset of his boyhood disability.

Before his death disables him back through time, the youth speaks perfectly. But the event of his death ripples back to adolescence, causing him to undergo something like an epileptic fit. And this brings on his speech impediment.

The Three-Eyed Raven and Bran “time travelling” while in a mystic trance

The only word Hodor speaks as an adult is also the name everybody calls him by, “Hodor.” This is a portmanteau of a repeated cry heard just before his death:

HOLD THE DOOR!

In his final hour, Hodor sacrificially holds a wooden door shut to prevent evil creatures from killing his friends. His friends survive but the wily creatures hack through the door and destroy him.

This development left me spellbound. The implications are grand. Especially when we consider that time is relative. And not just in sci-fi but in science.

The Hodor cycle got me thinking about how people struggling with difficulties, psychological or otherwise, could actually be doing some kind of noble service in ways – and on other levels – that we are only dimly aware of.

Most MDs and psychologists would probably dismiss this as “unscientific.” And fair enough. But can we fully understand the human predicament from the perspective of a microscope, test tube or brain scan?

I don’t believe so. And it would be equally unscientific to ignore alternatives, no matter how far-fetched, without giving them a fair hearing.

We get RT through our cable package. Every now and then it’s fun to watch. You get a totally – and I mean totally – different slant on the news. Coverage of Europe seems a bit better than the major American and Canadian networks. But what really struck me last night was the coverage of the US.

With an almost obsessive focus on the States, RT showed clips of a seemingly harmless group of anarchist protesters being clubbed by American police in LA. In this case, I don’t think the video was lying. But I’m not sure if it was the 1992 riot or something more recent.

Members of the Toronto Police Force (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The scenes reminded me of a time, a few years back, when people questioned whether Toronto police were too heavy-handed during a G20 protest.

If a news network were to repeat a few choice clips of that Toronto event, it could make Canada look like, well, the Russian front!

But the point is, on the whole our cops are pretty decent people who do a good job, and a very difficult and dangerous job to boot. And I suspect it’s the same in the US.

Sadly, the veneer of civilization is pretty thin. This was painfully evident during a Toronto blackout a few years ago.

Before long people began to vandalize and rob. I began to feel scared. Would the downtown mobs reach my North Toronto neighborhood? A nearby bus shelter was trashed, shattered glass everywhere. They got close.

Plainclothes Officers — circa 1919 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even in our enlightened age, it seems that life without cops would quickly revert to jungle life.

But I digress.

To return to RT, except for a story about apparently innocent athletes tested for drugs, I also noticed a dearth of news about Russia, itself. Always this obsessive attention to other countries. And the anchors, forgive me for saying, look like they are slightly doped. Say the wrong thing and God knows what happens to them. Even Larry King, whom I used to admire, has a show on RT. I’m not sure what’s worse. That, or his cheesy paid for TV interview/ads.

Speaking of ads, I didn’t see any on RT. Just lots of filler between news stories. Promos for RT.

By way of contrast, CNN’s Carol Costello seems so alive this morning and certainly NOT drugged. A real personality. I wonder what it is about Russians and their history that has lead to these dull, controlled mouthpieces we see on their news? Whatever happened to Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Gogol, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky? Clearly not all Russians seem like they’re auditioning for a zombie flick.

With the release of the fourth season of “House of Cards,” all 13 episodes are available for Netflix subscribers. Some fans might space each episode out over the course of the ensuing weeks. But many will binge-watch – completing the series in a thrilling, draining marathon of being glued to their laptops or TV screens.

And when it’s all over?

Many report feeling sad or anxious once a TV binge-watching session has concluded. In an essay for The New York Times, writer Matthew Schneier reported feeling “anxious, wistful, bereft” as his binge of Aziz Ansari’s popular comedy series “Master of None” neared its end.

A couple of years ago, one binge-watcher interviewed by the Minneapolis Star-Tribunesaid she felt “depression” and “emptiness” after finishing her favorite shows.

Are these merely the experiences of a few people who have watched too much TV (and could probably use some fresh air)? Or could binge-watching actually affect your health and well-being?

There’s been limited empirical research on the consequences of binge-watching. So with the advantage of a large sample size, we conducted one of the first forays into studying binge-watching from a public health perspective.

A binge-watching bonanza

According to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, watching television is one of the most common leisure time activities in the U.S.

On average, Americans spend about 2 hours and 49 minutes per day watching television, and it accounts for more than 50 percent of their daily leisure activities.

Yet the way Americans consume television is rapidly changing, and binge-watching has become a relatively recent phenomenon.

The rising popularity of on-demand streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have made it easier than ever to have uninterrupted access to full TV series, and Collins Dictionary even declared “binge-watch” the word of the year for 2015.

Marketing and social media campaigns have also encouraged binge-watching, with the popular streaming service Netflix calling it the “new normal.”

To date, most of the surveys and research surrounding binge-watching have been conducted by private research firms and companies.

A 2013 survey by Netflix showed that 73 percent of the respondents viewed binge-watching as a socially acceptable behavior. A similar survey by TiVo in 2015 showed that negative perceptions about binge-watching have decreased between 2013 and 2015. About 92 percent of the respondents to the TiVo survey reported that they had binge-watched at some point.

Are binge-watching and mental illness related?

Excessive TV watching has long been associated with health problems. Scientific studies have shown that prolonged television viewing increases the risk of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes.

It’s also been linked to mental health problems like depression. And a recent Texas A&M study revealed that binge-watching is tied to feelings of loneliness and depression. They also found that those who binge-watch lacked the self-regulation to stop, suggesting that binge-watching may be an addictive behavior.

For our study, we surveyed 406 North American adults, recruited from an online data collection platform. We wanted to know more about binge-watchers – particularly their viewing habits, mental health status, and how prevalent and socially acceptable binge-watching was among their friends.

The majority of our respondents defined binge-watching as two to five hours of consecutive video viewing in one day. About 35 percent of the respondents admitted that they binge-watch TV. Not surprisingly, those who self-identified as binge-watchers were more likely to report higher average screen time in the past seven days compared to those who did not identify as binge-watchers. Self-identified binge-watchers were also more likely to report higher addiction to TV (as measured by a validated scale).

The major highlight of our study, however, is that self-identified binge-watchers were more likely to report higher stress, anxiety and depression.

We were ultimately able to demonstrate a relationship between binge-watching, average screen time and mental health status.

However, these results should be interpreted with caution. Our research shows only a correlation and not causation. We don’t know if depression, stress and anxiety are caused by binge-watching, or if it is the other way around. In other words, people might binge-watch as a way to temporarily alleviate preexisting feelings of stress and anxiety.

We also discovered that media influence and social acceptance of binge-watching were found to be significant predictors of self-reported binge-watching.

About 85 percent of the respondents said that they had noticed advertisements or articles encouraging binge-watching, while 74 percent of the respondents reported that they have read articles on binge-watching. An estimated 62 percent of the respondents believed that most people binge-watch and 53 percent of the respondents indicated that most of their friends binge-watch.

Of course, more research is needed to understand the true effects of binge-watching on physical and mental health. In the interim, the next time you load up “House of Cards,” “Jessica Jones” or “Game of Thrones,” it might be a good idea to exercise some caution once the show concludes, and resist the urge to click “next episode.”

Born in 1962, I was almost too young to really appreciate Star Trek by the time it had run its course from 1966-69. Seven years old, and Star Trek had been cancelled.

My first memories of watching Star Trek are in the basement on Saturdays. It might have been a black and white or maybe a fairly primitive color TV. I can’t remember. What I do remember, though, is that the picture was pretty snowy. So it could have been a Buffalo NY channel. Or possibly a Hamilton ON channel. A snowy picture wasn’t uncommon back in the 60s and early 70s—if a household didn’t have cable, that is.

Even though the picture was fuzzy, I was captivated by Trek‘s faraway ambiance. It was low tech, for sure. But very high on the imagination. And that’s what really counts in storytelling, sci-fi or otherwise.

A few years later, the show came back as daily reruns. My friends and I would watch Trek, almost like an after school congregation. Sometimes we’d watch two episodes a day. The reruns were that popular.

Star Trek – “City on the Edge of Forever” – via Wikipedia

One of my favorite childhood episodes took place on a planet similar to Nazi Germany. Another great episode saw Kirk being accused of witchcraft on a planet similar to Earth’s European Middle Ages. And then there was Trelane, that Renaissance spoilsport who played the harpsichord, mostly concerned with his own pleasure.

There are several other outstanding episodes. Some explore the notion of parallel universes. Others, the merging of fantasy and reality. And others, the pitfalls of gangland violence or hippie idealism. But my all-time favorite, “City on the Edge of Forever,” won a Hugo award.

In this episode, Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy (Bones) travel back in time through a doughnut shaped portal to America’s Dirty Thirties. Kirk falls in love with the beautiful and insightful Edith Keeler. Unfortunately, she dies at the end of the episode. So Kirk must return to the Enterprise, to his own time, and suppress his feelings in order to command the starship.

It was a brilliant episode about time travel. One of the first to blend metaphysics and human emotion.

Jolene Blalock in Cairo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As for Leonard Nimoy, he was forever clever, funny and played the role of Spock perfectly. Jolene Blalock, who expertly portrayed the Vulcan T’Pol in Enterprise, once said that Nimoy was a hard act to follow.

Spock was groundbreaking because he was, perhaps, the first ET on TV with a full personality. As a self-proclaimed Vulcan, he was also half-human, a being who’d been taught as a boy to bury his emotions. That’s what Vulcans did. But the inner conflict was always lurking, just waiting to rise to the surface.

Despite his apparent rationalism, Spock would fall in love. He’d be reckless. He’d exhibit great valor. And when teased by Bones and Kirk, Spock would coolly rationalize his underlying emotionalism, in true Vulcan style.

Nimoy certainly was the man for the job. He played the innovative, complex character of Spock to a T. So Mr. Nimoy, thanks for the memories. And to you in the next life:

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! 🙂

About the Author

Mike Clark earned his Ph.D in Religious Studies from the University of Ottawa. He’s an ardent supporter of dialogue and free-thinking. Not one to uncritically accept the latest politically correct, scientific, religious or trendy opinions, Mike wants to get at truth. But as a limited human being, he realizes he’ll probably always have to settle for (hopefully better and better) theories about truth.

People may be looking for “transcendent concepts” in TV, media, government, social solutions, national defense and international relations.

The idea of transcendent concepts can be applied to almost any endeavor and may represent a new wave of thinking about a wide range of human activities.

This perspective includes several assumptions and conclusions.

One factor in this viewpoint is the awareness that new discoveries have been made, and are being made currently, that impact directly on the human race.

These discoveries are, in part, related to the capabilities and strengths of human beings as well as the nature of our environment on Earth and in the Universe.

For example, new views about quantum physics, human psychology and other phenomena often provide support for transcendent thinking.

Related to this is the viewpoint that these discoveries may indicate that modified approaches to certain challenges are sometimes appropriate.

“Transcendent warfare” concepts can spark new thinking about international conflict and cooperation as well as peace operations, information operations, public diplomacy and humanitarian efforts.

Transcendent ideas can be applied to creative media such as movies, books and online communications platforms.

Whether the challenge is gathering intelligence on destructive terrorists or understanding how the mass media and TV can most successfully connect with audiences, being open to new and interesting developments can be important.

TRANSCENDENT TV

For example, we might look at the changing relationship of people with the TV media. TV is one window into society and can tell us something about ourselves.

In the aftermath of the Hollywood writers strike, studies have shown that TV viewers are drifting away from some of the broadcast networks’ programming.

A widening variety of good-quality cable channels, delayed viewing via DVRs and current events such as the political campaigns and the financial crisis have been cited as part of the reasons for viewer behavior and choices.

Some observers suggest that viewers want diversion to help them forget their plunging home values, disintegrating financial investments, increasing risks of job loss, apparent government dysfunction and ongoing war in foreign lands.

Other people note that shows having practical value, insight or maybe some valid connection to reality are attractive to many viewers.

The idea of shows having meaningful connections to reality should not to be confused with “reality TV” such as competitions at unusual challenges and the camera-eye view of the lives of publicity-seeking lower-tier celebrities.

Another kind of reality TV refers to programs that explore our connections with, and our understanding of other people, society and the fast-changing world we live in today.

What is going on in the world? How do I and my family and community fit in? What are the dangers, opportunities and discoveries around us now?

These questions may help create a foundation for TV programming that includes tried-and-true stories and characters, a solid rootedness in interesting current events and plenty of room for imagination and creativity.

This is the opposite of the “dumbing down” of TV. A term to describe this concept could be “transcendent TV.”

Today’s mass media, including TV, is a platform within which many creative ideas can flourish, entertain, enlighten and inform.

When we open ourselves to emerging developments and when we craft new approaches and creative endeavors in response to these developments, renewed and significant connections with audiences might result.

CONNECTING AND UNDERSTANDING

The connections between what is going in our lives, our communities, our societies and on our planet are interwoven in many ways. The activities of humanity, the events triggered by Nature and possible impacts from forces and factors we don’t fully understand also intertwine.

Exploring the known realities around us as well as examining the unknowns are part of a vibrant and robust approach to many different kinds of endeavors.

Some of these knowns and unknowns are equally mysterious, fascinating, frightening or uplifting. They may provide worrisome warnings or hopeful optimism. They can trigger defensive preparation or a peek at a fantastic breakthrough for the human race.

Some of the unusual mysteries that fascinate millions of people are also subject to a transcendent approach.

What are those unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that seem to be spotted fairly frequently over places like Stephenville, Texas? Are all crop circles made by human pranksters? Do humans possess a “sixth sense” of internal awareness that includes extra-sensory perception (ESP)? Are there other dimensions of reality where we go after physical death? What might be hidden within our DNA?

One common denominator in the ideas ranging from transcendent TV to transcendent warfare to unusual transcendent phenomena may be the issue of intelligence gathering and intelligence dissemination.

What do people perceive as being valuable, useful, truthful, worthwhile and important? Then, how can the related concepts and information be organized and communicated in effective ways?

A transcendent approach combines the best of solid proven methods along with innovative and leading-edge knowledge and insight. A thoughtful and well-structured combination of these may create another level of understanding and success.

Transcendent viewpoints may also create opportunity for new ways of accomplishing worthwhile objectives that are beneficial at many levels.

Tonight’s ABC special “UFOs: Seeing is Believing” is a follow-up to the 2005 program “Peter Jennings Reporting – UFOs: Seeing Is Believing.”

The program tonight will provide updated information on certain UFO incidents and offer various perspectives.

But will the show examine the deeper and more complex aspects of this situation?

What many people seem to wonder about is the apparent secrecy, security and restrictions on information regarding the UFO situation that may have begun as early as 1947 and the alleged crash of an extraterrestrial craft near Roswell, New Mexico.

Are there legitimate reasons for this security? Are the reasons faulty? Is there a combination of both intelligent reasons and troubling justifications for the alleged intense security surrounding the topic?

RECENT EVENTS

Tonight’s ABC show will look into the highly unusual incidents and circumstances of sightings in Stephenville, Texas, that appeared to have occurred primarily early in 2008. Secrecy has reportedly been involved in the Stephenville incidents.

Several law enforcement officers and other very reliable witnesses reported sighting a large object, sometimes at very low altitude. Others saw highly unusual lights in the distance.

The object or objects were caught on video cameras mounted on police car dashboards. Some officers made a detailed sketch. One officer reportedly used his radar gun and tracked the speed of a low-altitude object. (It was not speeding at the time, going 27 mph according to published reports quoting the officer.)

When investigators from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) conducted a detailed radar analysis using FAA radar data for a key time frame during the cluster of Stephenville incidents, they found interesting information.

The MUFON report concluded that at least one huge object was in the area, moving at unusual speeds and traveled to within 10 miles of the Bush ranch at Crawford. The MUFON investigation also determined there seemed to be particularly heavy U.S. military aircraft activity in the area at that time.

WHY SECRECY?

An often-asked question is about the secrecy surrounding the alleged situation of UFOs and extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional activities involving our planet Earth.

Many explanations have been suggested.

These include the natural tendency of governments, militaries and intelligence organizations to hold sensitive information closely.

Another reason given is that advanced technologies might be available through ET visitation and that countries want to keep these secret, providing advantages for them over competing nations.

Yet another rationale is that the human “powers-that-be” who run the Earth, according to some views, want to control knowledge related to ET activities, enhancing their power and control.

This perspective includes the idea that these powers-that-be want to keep things “business as usual” regarding distribution of wealth, control of Earth’s natural resources, manipulation of wars and weapons as well as status quo management of poverty, disease, pollution, starvation, injustice and human suffering.

Equally interesting theories to explain secrecy include the idea that many Americans and other humans might not be ready to deal psychologically and emotionally with a reality that includes extraterrestrial activities here and that human societies could be damaged in very serious ways.

One of the most concerning rationales about the need for security about an alleged ET activities situation is that, although there might be “friendly” visitors, there may also be ETs who pose a grave risk to the human race. If that is the case, then standard military and intelligence security measures might be very logical, though some people might still disagree.

There are possibly other equally important considerations and details involved in the overall situation.

When the Native American Indians first received visitors and colonists from Europe – the Vikings, Spanish, French and English – they did not realize the problems that these “visitors” posed to their way of life and their very existence. Now, we realize how devastating this invasion or infiltration was to original people of the Americas. This could be a lesson to consider carefully.

MOVING THE BALL FORWARD

How can we become more informed about what might be a complex and sensitive situation, and deal with the above factors as well as many other elements that could be involved?

Becoming more informed about current research on the subject is a good start. Being both open-minded and skeptical, looking at things very carefully, is also probably helpful.

Depending on what scenario we consider, or what combinations of situations might be involved, it is often wise to “hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Freedom of information, like freedom of speech, has limitations. As the old adage goes, freedom of speech does not allow us to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theatre.

Today, many people demand “full disclosure” about what they think is an important and hidden situation about ET activities. This is understandable, natural and in many ways, admirable and worthwhile. Obtaining more information is often helpful in making decisions and getting a solid understanding of any situation. Then, strategies can be developed to cope with a changing situation.

In fact, it could be that disclosure and “acclimation” about such a scenario are already underway and have been for decades. We are being told about the state of the situation … if we just open our eyes and our minds.

If it is a national security and international security scenario, we must be sensitive to and intelligent about how various aspects of it are handled. Defensive measures might be appropriate.

If a “culture shock” or let’s say a “culture impact” were to take place related to ET visitation, infiltration or some other kind of contact from one or several other species of beings, what can we do to try to make it a constructive impact that preserves the best of humanity, and also helps us make progress in the future?

Some steps might include taking stock of the uniqueness of humans and Earth. It truly is a beautiful planet, filled with life and with great potential. Various human societies, groups and individuals have done great things and we have a rich cultural history.

That said, human history and the current state of affairs are problematic in many ways. There is plenty of room for improvement.

To psychologically and emotionally prepare for the possibility that extraterrestrial activities of various kinds may be underway, maybe we need to hold on tight to those positive aspects of humanity and our cultures while recognizing our serious failings too.

By considering a comprehensive number of factors and dynamics in play, and the seriousness and sensitivity of possible ET activities, we can try to make future developments turn out as constructively as possible.

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